Thursday, January 14, 2016

My immediate family will be the first
to tell you, I am not a minister.There
are those who might disagree, but it seems counterproductive to debate the issue.
In any case, in recent months I find myself in circumstances conducive to frequent
and fervent conversations with the Lord. There are those who contend that the
Lord’s Prayer was intended only as a template from which to compose our own
spiritual conversations. While I wouldn’t disagree with that, it seems likely
to me that God would forgive our plagiarism, being heartened instead that we
have taken his words to heart. Based on that belief, I have taken two Biblical
Prayers and stitched them together with a favorite scrap of scripture; in order
to have something on hand that I can recite easily from memory on those occasions
when I find it comforting to do so. I share it here in the belief that it can’t
possibly do any harm.

“Our Father which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive
our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.” Mathew 6:9-13 “Oh,
that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, and that thine hand
would be with me, and keep me from evil, that I might not cause pain.” First chronicles
4:10 Guide me, strengthen me, and use me in thy service lord, that I may, “do
justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with you, through Christ. Amen SCad us not into temptation,

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

God Bless the United
States of America, all those who devote their lives to its service, and our
government, of, by and for the people. God Bless our people and our Nation, one
Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all, and God Bless our
President.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

It’s never a good
idea to monkey with the bible.You’re
unlikely to improve on the original, and you’re almost certain to tick somebody
off.That being said, early versions were
derived from ancient tales told around campfires down through the millennia,
and if you enjoy storytelling, it’s an irresistible challenge to take a stab at
it yourself.

IN
A NUTSHELL

In the beginning,
there was a tiny, ageless, spark, and the dark, foreboding void of its
antithesis. Then came the first faint tick in primordial time. Light expanded,
darkness drew back, and all of creation burst into illumination.

Through time, mists
formed droplets, droplets formed seas, and primeval waters lapped at smoldering
shores. Darkness and light formed seasons and cycles and the spirit of God
shone brightly on creation. Atoms formed
cells, cells formed substance, and an awesome force breathed life into myriad
forms.

Thus, seasons and
cycles, darkness and light interacted down through the ages. Life developed
consciousness, consciousness knowledge, and knowledge gives hope to those who acknowledge
the light. SC

Saturday, January 2, 2016

I believe I’ll tempt
fate and begin 2016 with a brief political post.A true republican, and one of my all-time favorite Presidents,
Teddy Roosevelt said, “Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.” I believe
that’s very true.I believe it’s equally
true of all religious and political movements. There are those among us, in all
political and religious persuasions, which excel at the art of appealing to the
baser instincts inside each of us in order to achieve their own goals. They are
masters at using our natural tendencies toward greed, apathy, and suspicion to
pit us one against the other in order achieve their own selfish agendas. They encourage
the belief that bigotry, intolerance, racism and a general contempt for all efforts
toward compromise, patriotism and unity are not only acceptable, but even admirable,
and their efforts poison and polarize all efforts toward common cause and the
general good.

There are others among
us.There are those who believe that America’s
best days are yet ahead. There are those
who believe that America’s time-honored institutions are among the most
admirable ever achieved by societies and civilizations who aspire to high
ideals. They believe that America's greatest strength is diversity. And they honor diversity to keep America strong. They believe that America’s Constitution and historical documents call
all of mankind to a higher plain, encouraging us to heed the voices of our
better angels, to extend ever onward the long arc of moral justice in the
universe, and to strive with determination toward the goals of our country’s founding
fathers in a peaceful yet uncompromising effort on behalf of truth, justice and
the American way. Choose wisely and participate America.There’s a lot at stake. SC

Friday, January 1, 2016

My New Year’s resolution is to be receptive to the
force, impervious to the dark side and entirely exhilarated by the galaxy’s unimaginable
potential. In the event that I fail miserably at all of that, I intend to do
justly, love mercy and walk humbly with my God. SC